Ahead of LWC’s production of Bugsy Malone hitting Basingstoke’s Haymarket Theatre, we meet Bugsy and Blousey…

There’s nothing conventional about Alan Parker’s Bugsy Malone.

The idea for the film, which saw children playing the roles of New York gangsters, came via the back seat of the director’s car.

“Before Bugsy Malone was a film, it was just a story,” the late Alan Parker once revealed. “In 1974, I had four small children and to keep them occupied on long (and mostly boring) car journeys, I would invent a story for them. It was a world of gangsters and showgirls, set in New York City, a long time ago and a long way from where we lived.”

It was Alan’s eldest son, Alex who insisted that these characters should be children, much like he and his siblings at the time. They always listened, captivated by the tales.

Fast-forward half a century and the story is still going strong. The film was released in 1976, starring two 13-year-olds as the principal characters of Bugsy and Blousey; Scott Baio and Florence Dugger. It also featured a certain Jodie Foster as Fat Sam’s gun moll, Tallulah and many a splurge gun capable of quick-firing cream.

In January, Lord Wandsworth College will present Alan Parker’s Bugsy Malone at Basingstoke’s Haymarket Theatre. The production is the culmination of four months of auditions and rehearsals. 4^th Former, Barney will play Bugsy (a penniless boxing promoter) with Upper Sixth Former, Lexi taking on the role of Blousey (Bugsy’s singer girlfriend). Neither are strangers to the spotlight.

“Teamwork and collaboration are a big part of productions like this. We’re all working towards the same goal for the show”

—Lexi (Blousey)

“I was the Artful Dodger in last year’s production of Oliver!,” explained Barney. “I learned a lot from that role and progressed hugely from it as an actor. Oliver!  was such a success that I thought I’d love to be part of something like that again.”

Similarly for Lexi, having the opportunity to perform on stage at The Haymarket last year was a motivating factor in her decision to audition again. “I was Nancy in last year’s production,” she reveals. “I was actually quite surprised when I learned I’d been given the role of Blousey because I had a principal part last year. But I was so grateful to get the role that I did.”

Compared to the actors who originally starred in these roles in the seventies, Barney (14) and Lexi (17) are practically veterans.

“I loved the experience and everything I learned from Oliver!,” said Lexi. “Show week was one of the best of the whole school year for me. The most challenging part of Bugsy has been trying to organise myself, so that I can balance being at all of my rehearsals when I need to be, whilst also making sure that I get all my work done! I’m also not great at learning my lines, but that’s a separate issue! I actually think that, ironically it’s helped me; because I’ve learned to make sure that my time is managed more productively.”

Barney also agrees that learning lines has been testing, but there have been some real positives along the way. “I think this will really benefit me in the future,” he admits. “It’s helped my confidence when it comes to talking to new people and making new friends.”

“My confidence and public speaking have improved so much as a result of these performances,” acknowledges Lexi. Working as part of a 50-strong cast has also allowed her to flex other skills. “Teamwork and collaboration are a big part of productions like this. We’re all working towards the same goal for the show.”

A year after appearing in the film version of Bugsy, Jodie Foster went on to star opposite Robert DeNiro in Taxi Driver. So do Barney and Lexi hope the future holds something similar?

“I’m applying to university to study English Literature,” explains Lexi. “I’m hoping this can lead to a career in journalism or potentially something in media presentation”. Barney, who has a few more years to think about what comes next, admits, “I haven’t really thought about what I’d like to do when I’m older but I think acting will always be a part of my life.”

When asked to reflect on the creation of the film many years later, Alan Parker admitted, “When we made Bugsy Malone, it never occurred to us that we were attempting the absurd. It was daring and brave, except we were all too ingenuous to know it at the time. Most importantly, it was a labour of love by a lot of people making their first film and probably, in its own curious and bizarre way, it’s why this daft film works.”

The labour of love that is LWC’s Bugsy Malone is on at The Haymarket in Basingstoke on Wednesday 22^nd and Thursday 23^rd January. The play is by Alan Parker. Words and Music are by Paul Williams. By arrangement with Faber Music Ltd on behalf of Warner/Chappell Music Ltd.

Splurge guns included.